The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education filled its empty seat Monday night. 

Alma Hernandez Wilson was provisionally appointed by the four board members to replace Amy Lopez, who resigned in late July after moving out of the district.

The term expires in December 2024.

The appointment occurred during a special meeting Monday night where the remaining board members interviewed five candidates before making a final decision to fill the Trustee Area 3 position.

“I 100% believe that raising children is a community effort,’’ Hernandez Wilson said. “I’m very excited about this opportunity.’’ 

The four other applicants were Tammie Castillo-Shiffer, Karen Draper, Hunter Jameson and Gabriel Amaro Morales.

She works as a field representative in the Lompoc office for Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann. 

Before that job, Hernandez Wilson was the Healthy Start Family Service Center director for the Guadalupe Union School District. 

She has lived in the high school district for 23 years after moving to the Central Coast to attend Cal Poly, where she focused on human development and early children education.

Hernandez Wilson later earned her master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Northridge. 

The school board had 60 days to fill the vacancy or call for a special election, typically a costly and time-consuming option most agencies avoid. 

Lopez was provisionally appointed to the board in January 2016 to fill a seat vacated by Victor Tognazzini. She then was elected for two subsequent terms.

The high school district has switched from an at-large voting system to electing members by district. 

Lopez’s position remained an at-large until next year.

District officials said Hernandez Wilson is eligible to run for election in Trustee Area 3 in the November 2024 election.